Ipomoea plant named ‘KPOZ0001’

ABSTRACT

A new  Ipomoea  plant named ‘KPOZ0001’, particularly distinguished by compact and mounding plant habit, then becomes more outwardly trailing with age, vigorous, freely branching with dense palmately shaped foliage. The large foliage displays shades of olive green, bronze and reddish purple. Flowers, when present, are medium sized pale lavender pink.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Ipomoeabatatas (L.) Lam.

Varietal denomination: ‘KPOZ0001’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Ipomoea, botanically known asIpomoea batatas (L.) Lam and hereinafter referred to by the variety name‘KPOZ0001’.

‘KPOZ0001’ is a product of a planned breeding program for thedevelopment of Ornamental Sweet Potato cultivars. These plants aregrown, not for their flowers, but for their foliage and plant habitcharacteristics. These plants flower very rarely and then only understrict short day lengths.

The new cultivar ‘KPOZ0001’ has compact and mounding plant habit, thenbecomes more outwardly trailing with age, vigorous, freely branchingwith dense palmately shaped foliage. The large foliage displays shadesof olive green, bronze and reddish purple. Flowers, when present, aremedium sized pale lavender pink.

‘KPOZ0001’ originates from an open pollination hybridization in acontrolled breeding program in Gilroy, Calif., USA. The pollinationswere made in the summer of 2008.

The female parent is the commercial variety ‘Sweet Caroline Purple’(U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,912). ‘Sweet Caroline Purple’ has a more broadlyspreading plant habit, much deeper purple foliage color and producesflowers more readily than ‘KPOZ0001’.

The male parent of ‘KPOZ0001’ is unknown.

The resulting seeds were sown in October 2008 and ‘KPOZ0001’ wasselected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated crossin January 2009 in a greenhouse in Gilroy, Calif.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘KPOZ0001’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection inMarch 2009 in a controlled environment in Gilroy, Calif.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in May 2009 in Gilroy, Calif., and continuing thereafter, hasdemonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosedfor ‘KPOZ0001’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

‘KPOZ0001’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length.

Plant Breeder's Rights for this cultivar have not yet been applied for.‘KPOZ0001’ has not been made publicly available more than one year priorto the filing of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Ipomoea as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical foliagecharacteristics of ‘KPOZ0001’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type.

The photographic drawings show in FIG. 1, a close-up of the foliage, andin FIG. 2, a mature plant of the new variety.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in April 2015 in Gilroy,Calif. The plants were growing in 11 cm pots on benches in a greenhouse.They were about 10 weeks of age.

-   Color chart used: Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.)    2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘KPOZ0001’ AND A SIMILARVARIETY ‘KPOZ0001’ ‘Sweet Caroline Bronze’ Stem diameter: Larger ThinnerInternode length: Shorter Longer Foliage size: Larger Smaller Plantsize: More compact More trailing

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Compact and mounding plant habit            that becomes more outwardly trailing with age, Freely            branching with dense foliage.        -   Height.—22-25 cm.        -   Width.—25-32 cm.-   Roots/tubers:    -   -   Type.—At the age of these plants used for the descriptive            data, there were no real tubers forming. The roots            themselves are thick, fleshy and cream to white.-   Foliage:    -   -   Type.—Alternate, simple.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 146D, mottled and            overlaid with RHS 165B. Lower surface: Closest to RHS 147C            with some RHS 166B.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 148A heavily overlaid            with anthocyanins closest to RHS 166A. Lower surface:            Closest to RHS 146B heavily overlaid with RHS 72A.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 187C.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 187B.        -   Length.—13.0-15.0 cm.        -   Width.—12-16 cm.        -   Shape.—Roughly cordate; palmately, 5 lobed.        -   Base shape.—Auriculate.        -   Apex shape.—Apiculate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Hirsute on the margins of both surfaces.        -   Petioles color.—RHS 187C.        -   Petioles length.—9.5-14.5 cm.        -   Diameter of petiole.—0.4-0.5 cm.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.-   Stem:    -   -   Color of stem.—RHS 187C.        -   Length of stem.—12-16 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.5-0.5 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—0.8-1.1 cm.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—None present. Ephemeral; rarely see flowers. Flowers            only under very strict short day lengths.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 187A but slightly lighter.        -   Length of peduncle.—2-4 cm.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Glabrous.-   Corolla:    -   -   Form.—Single trumpet-shaped flowers arise from leaf axils            comprised of 5 petals fused at the corolla length and base.        -   Flower diameter.—3.5-3.7 cm.        -   Flower depth.—3.5-3.6 cm.        -   Color of petals, upper surface.—RHS 65D; RHS N155C margins;            veins RHS N77B.        -   Color of petals, lower surface.—RHS 186C and D; RHS N155B            margins.        -   Length of petals.—1.3-1.5 cm.        -   Width of petals.—1.2-1.3 cm.        -   Petal shape.—Obcordate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Petal texture.—Papillose on upper surface and glabrous            under.        -   Corolla color inner surface.—RHS N81D ground. color; RHS            N80B basally; RHS N79B veining that fades to RHS N77B at            petal lobes. Outer surface: RHS 186C and D, slightly            striated and suffused together.        -   Corolla diameter at flare.—1.5-1.6 cm.-   Bud (just before opening):    -   -   Color.—RHS 65C.        -   Length.—2.1-2.2 cm.        -   Width.—0.5-0.7 cm.        -   Shape.—Orbicular.        -   Calyx.—5 sepals fused at the base.        -   Color of sepals, inner surface.—Closest to RHS N186C Outer            surface: Closest to RHS 145A, overlaid with anthocyanins of            about RHS N186A-B.        -   Length of sepals.—0.7-0.8 cm.        -   Width of sepals.—0.2-03 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Slightly pubescent on the outer surface and            glabrous on the inner surface.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistil.—1.        -   Length.—1.3-1.5 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS N155B but whiter.        -   Style length.—1.2-1.3 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS N155B but whiter.        -   Stamens.—5.        -   Color of filaments.—RHS N155B but whiter.        -   Length filaments.—0.4 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 155C.        -   Length of anthers.—0.1-0.2 cm.        -   Color of pollen.—RHS 155A.        -   Pollen amount.—Scarce.-   Fertility/seed set: Has not been observed to date.-   Disease/pest resistance: Has not been observed to date.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Ipomoea plant named‘KPOZ0001’, substantially as illustrated and described herein.